Without Incident
by Lucy Kay
Summary: Gill makes sure every festival runs smoothly from start to finish. Well... just not this year. Our crazy, beloved carpenter keeps making mischief! A slice of life one-shot about friendship, growing up, and a little bit of humor. And a dash of GillxAngela. A request for usuihentai727! Picture is not mine.


Basically, I got the idea for this one-shot when I was playing Animal Parade, and after the Firefly Festival, Gill said something like: "Phew! Another year without incident." And it made me think… Incident? :3

So here is the long long long long LONG overdue request for usuihentai727 about Luke and Gill. And hey, it's pretty long!

Enjoy!

* * *

Year: 20 (This Winter)  
Season: Spring  
Day: 28  
Time: 8:47 a.m.  
Notes: I am in the festival grounds at Horn Ranch. Everything seems to be in order, which is a nice surprise from last year. We were running late (if you check the dated entry) because of an inventory error in Shelly's Booth. A bright, organized Animal Festival seems to be in the future.

Year: 19 (come Summer! Woo!)  
Season: Sprummer (practically summer…)  
Day: 28  
Time: 10ish  
Notes: This is my last year of teenhood. Running out of time, bro. But I'm not about to screw that up. Gotta make it memorable! So I've got some plans for the Animal Festival. Owen and Bo said no, but what do they know? Chloe's in, so we'll be good. This'll be so EXTREME!

"And the winner is… Angela and her cat Merry! Congratulations! Will you please come up to collect your prize? And a round of applause from everyone!" Hamilton clapped as he finished his spiel, stepping to the side for the timid farm girl to claim the stage next to him.

The crowd cheered as Gill scribbled in his notebook. He clapped it shut with a confident smile and tucked it under his arm. The young man half-heartedly clapped along with everyone else as the cheering started to die down.

_Another festival in good order… Glad everything went without incident. _

Gill clicked his pen and tucked it into his shirt pocket. He decided to check his notes one more time before the crowd dispersed to go home.

He felt a light tap on his shoulder. Knowing who it was, he didn't bother to look up. "Congratulations."

"Thanks! I was worried Merry wouldn't remember that trick…" Angela cradled her black cat in her arms. Her cheeks were still tinged pink with excitement. "But he did really well! Um… Would you like any of this cornbread? Your father gave me ten…"

Gill shrugged and reached into the bag she held out to him. "Thank you… Father does give away too many though. It's rather wasteful and a bit overwhelming. I'll make a note of it for next time – thank you for your input."

Angela bit her lip despite herself. Her cat mewed uncomfortably, so she decided she'd better leave. "Um, well, no problem! Uh… see you around, Gill."

"Yes, of course," he answered with a disinterested wave before he went back to his notebook, a bite of cornbread in his mouth.

But Angela didn't leave. She cocked her head to the side curiously. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Gill asked, immediately suspicious.

Angela put a finger to her lips and continued to listen to the air.

The mayor's son waited a moment, but he could just start to hear a small squeaking sound. "Is that… a whistle?"

Suddenly, Merry squealed in anger, and Angela was forced to drop him. She held at a scratch on her arm. "Ow! Merry! What's the matter with you?"

Across the field, a fiery bandana clad man was messing with the locking mechanism of the fence. The goats, sheep, cows, ostriches, and horses inside were bucking and screaming at the whistling sound. With a jerk of the handle, the blue-haired carpenter's son Luke released the latch and threw his hands in the air. "BE FREE!"

The animals pounded across the ground into the field. People started to scream about a stampede and flee the area as the barnyard bunch kicked, neighed, and mooed at the people.

Angela's jaw dropped at the sight. She stifled a giggle as Luke came barreling by on an ostrich. Gill was too frozen by the chaos to realize his notebook had been stolen by the carpenter. When he found his arms empty, he turned around – red in the face and ready to chase. "LUKE! Get back here with that right now!"

Luke had stolen his cornbread, too, and was now munching on it. He stopped at the top of the hill and high-fived a little girl in a tree. It was Chloe, and she was holding an orange whistle of some kind. "Too slow, man! You gotta catch me first!"

The whistling having stopped now, the escaped animals simply enjoyed their freedom by eating the grass. And the tasty treats left behind at the booths. And Anissa's yummy skirt. Villagers worked together to restrain their pets and resume order.

"Are you prepared to face the consequences of your actions? Get down here right this instant!" Gill pointed at the ground like he was talking to a puppy.

Luke finished off the corn bread and shook his head at the little girl with the peach ponytail. "I knew he wouldn't be a good sport about this. So much for improving the animal race."

"Aw!" The girl whined. She tossed him the whistle.

Angela coughed from the clouds of dust the animals had kicked up. Her cat came back to her feet, innocently pulling at the laces of her shoes. She bent down and scooped him up. "Silly cat… That whistle must really bother them or get their attention or something…"

"Whatever it does, it will be confiscated," Gill determined angrily. He crossed his arms and turned away from Luke. "What a child! Honestly, his vandalism will not be forgotten. He'll pay for this."

"For what?" Angela asked. "I mean… he didn't hurt anybody. It was just a silly prank."

"He's ruined the festival! Absolute chaos!" Gill insisted, smacking his fist against the palm of his hand.

"Hey, Gill!" Luke waved Gill's binder over his head like a flag. "You want this?"

"Bring that to me, Luke!" Gill demanded, holding his hand out.

Luke hopped off the ostrich and put the notebook in its mouth. Giving the whistle a hard blow, he slapped the ostrich on the back and it took off like a rocket. He smiled devilishly down at them as Chloe giggled wildly from her tree branch. "Well, there it goes!"

Gill's head was steaming with anger as Angela shook her head good-humoredly behind him.

Year: 20  
Season: Summer  
Day: 17  
Time: 6:33 p.m.  
Notes: So far, this summer's festivals have gone without a hitch. I've been keeping my eyes open since that fiasco at the Animal Festival with Luke. I finally found that stupid, gargantuan bird halfway to the Garmon Mines District. That boy's lucky my notebook was unharmed, or I would've had him arrested. Harmless prank! Honestly, Angela's just too kind. Well, a quiet evening watching the fireworks with her should be a nice end to this stressful day…

Year: 19  
Season: Summer!  
Day: 17  
Time: Dark  
Notes: Oh my God, it's so hot! These beach goers could use a cool down, am I right? I tried to steal some fireworks, but Selena said I'd blow my head off. I guess those are pretty dangerous. But water isn't dangerous, right? This will be the greatest prank ever! (After the Animal Festival, maybe.) Time to find Gill. He's such a hothead – it's so easy to get him mad! This'll be so EXTREME!

Angela second-guessed herself for the last time and finally let her head fall on Gill's shoulder. They sat in the sand – kind of. They had a blanket of course. (Couldn't go mussing up their clothes – sand is so troublesome.) But she had her knees brought up to her chin, she couldn't believe she was here with _Gill_, and it was one of the best nights of her life. Nothing could possibly ruin it.

Gill placed his hand on hers and let out a sigh. _Yes, this was nice._ The sun had set and the fireworks would start any minute. Still, Gill had a suspicious eye on his watch to make sure everything was on schedule. He looked around him every now and again, but the blue-haired monster wasn't in sight. _Perhaps it was a one-time thing…_

"Thanks for coming with me, Gill," Angela peeped up from his shoulder.

Awkwardly, Gill nodded. "Um, yes… Thank you for inviting me. You're a… um… nice girl."

"Nice?" Angela asked. "Um, okay. Thank you."

Gill was quickly on the defensive. "What's wrong?"

"Nice?" She asked again. Angela lifted her mousy brown head off his shoulder and stared at her shoes. "Well… I don't know."

"You should take it as a compliment," he said it like she was stupid.

"Of course! It's just…" Angela bit her lip. "I mean… 'nice?' Anyone can be nice, I guess. It's just… mediocre?"

If there was one thing Gill wouldn't have it was mediocrity in his life. He had to be perfect at everything – including the arts of dating. He coughed into his hand, and his face turned red despite himself. "My apologies. You're a very lovely person, Angela. It's quite an honor being here with you."

Angela's eyes widened. She held back a laugh when she smiled. "Well, thank you very much, Gill. You're quite a lovely person yourself."

The boom of the first firework went off. Immediately, Gill had his watch to his nose. He let out a satisfied sigh of relief. _Good. All was in order._

Angela and Gill silently watched the fireworks. The other villagers along the beach 'ooed' and 'ahed' at the bright explosion of colors in the black sky.

Right when everything seemed calm, someone hollered something down the shoreline. Before Gill could turn around, a stream of cold sea water shot him square in the back of the head.

Gill threw his hand to the back of his hair and looked down at his wet palm like he'd find blood there. The pair whirled around and looked down at the two silhouettes pumping water pistols. Angela gaped, waiting for Gill's reaction as a loud guffaw sounded down by the ocean.

Owen high-fived Luke, holding a water pistol of his own. "Nice hit, man! I didn't think these things would clear that distance."

"I said they would!" Luke bragged, tapping his gun in his hand like a club. The boys were still in their swim trunks. "Pay up!"

Owen rolled his eyes and dug around in his pocket before producing a banana.

"YES!" Luke snatched it and fist pumped.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Gill hollered. He was close to shaking his fist like an old man yelling to the neighborhood kids to 'get off his lawn.'

"Cooling things down a bit!" Luke grinned. He fired again and shot Gill's shirt. "See, aren't you cooler now?"

"Just some harmless fun, Gill," Owen explained with a smile of his own. "You want to join us?"

"No, of course not! Will you two put down those weapons, and—"

Angela squealed as she got hit with the cold water. It drenched her hair and dribbled all down her front.

Gill was on his feet in an instant, helping her to stand. It wasn't traumatizing, Angela insisted, but he wouldn't hear it. "You shot her?! What's the matter with you?!"

"Hey, it wasn't us," Luke shrugged.

Selena, the sultry red-head, sauntered up in a skimpy bikini wielding a gun of her own. She smirked at Angela. "So you in? I brought an extra for you."

Angela reached for it, but Gill quickly grabbed her hand. "You're not serious?"

The farmer blanched, trying to decide who to go to. Her eyes moved from person to person and finally settled on Gill. To his surprise, Angela gave him a kiss on the cheek. "It _is_ kind of hot out…"

Betrayed, Gill watched as she ran to Selena and learned how to pump her water pistol. But Angela made up for it by immediately shooting Luke.

The girls and boys quickly formed teams as they ran around and shot each other with jets of water. The girls squealed and giggled and the boys whooped and yelled to one another. Everyone was soaking wet within seconds.

Gill angrily marched up to Luke the moment his feet started working. He roughly pushed his shoulder to face him. "Will you cut this out? You just ruined my first date with Angela, you punk!"

Luke's face fell. "Oh… I didn't know."

"Well, now you do!"

"Well… Uh…" Luke rubbed the back of his head. "Better luck next time? AH!"

Selena suddenly tackled him and the two wrestled in the sand, making a mess and still trying to shoot each other.

Angela crept up behind Gill. She held up the pistol to him, but when he turned around, she let it drop. She smiled guiltily. "Sorry, Gill. I'll call it quits now… Thanks for that though – this was the best festival of the year!"

Shocked, Gill watched her grab his hand and slowly lead him back up the hill to watch the rest of the fireworks in peace. _Did something just go right?_

Year: 20  
Season: Autumn  
Day: 14  
Time: 7:16 p.m.  
Notes: He can't possibly ruin the Moon Viewing Festival. He can't. I'm watching, dammit.

Year: 19  
Season: Fall  
Day: 14  
Time: Darkish? (the moon's pretty bright)  
Notes: I'm almost scared. Gill was pretty mad last time… PSYCH. I can't let anyone ruin my last year of childish-hood! No way, man! This will be so EXTREME!

"I think you're over-reacting…"

"Over-reacting?!" Gill practically shouted, hands to his head. "I just know he's out there somewhere… In the bushes… _Waiting_…"

Angela munched the sandwiches she packed and spread her legs out in front of her on the picnic blanket. She put a hand on Gill's shoulder. "Look – how can he possibly ruin the festival? It's almost over. Just… enjoy it. Okay? …For me?"

Gill tried not to look at her, but one peek at her pleading brown eyes was enough for him to sigh and let his shoulders relax. "Fine."

She giggled and handed him a sandwich.

The two watched the moon in content silence for a few minutes. That is, until a deafening bass beat filled the valley.

"What the…?" Angela looked around in the darkness for the source, but couldn't pinpoint it immediately. She held a hand over her eyes and peered down the hill towards Flute Fields and saw flashing lights.

"I KNEW IT," Gill had leapt to his feet and was marching down the hill before Angela could swallow her last bite.

She brushed off her hands and quickly ran after him. "Gill, wait!"

"I'm stopping this nonsense! He's doing this on purpose!" He muttered darkly.

Villagers started to gather at the Technicolor lights and dance to the familiar melodies coming from the boom box. There was suddenly a make shift dance floor and the couples seemed to be enjoying it.

"On purpose? What are you talking about?" Angela asked, catching up and steadily walking beside him. It was difficult for her to match his strides.

"Oh, you know!" Gill grumbled. They stopped at the edge of the crowd. He stood on his tip toes, trying to get a look over the bouncing heads.

"No…" Angela shook her head. She took his hand. "If this really is Luke's doing – what's the harm? I mean… everyone seems to like it…"

Gill turned to face her in full lecture mode. "Harm? The harm is in breaching tradition and authority. Tradition is something that is actually rather flexible if put in the right hands, but authority is something that cannot be so easily toyed with. The masses with revolt and the system will crumble without dignified system and order!"

Angela was actually beginning to understand him until that last sentence. "But… Harmonica Town won't revolt…? We're a tiny village! You're… You're just being silly!"

Gill rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the crowd.

Luke's voice hollered over the music: "CRANK IT UP!"

The platinum blond son of authority fumed, clenching his fists. Angela still held tightly to his hand, not bothering to let go and make herself safe. For once, she wanted to take a risk. "Come on, Gill! Just dance with me!"

Gill's face paled – whiter than usual – and he gave her an incredulous look. "What?! That's absurd!"

Angela laughed and pulled him towards the crowd. "It's not so bad! I promise I'll go easy on you—"

"Easy on me?!"

Angela ignored him and took his other hand. "Let's just keep it simple, okay? See, left, right, left, right, doooown—"

Gill wouldn't allow himself to be pulled down into any ridiculous twists. He roughly freed his hands from her. "This is preposterous!"

Luckily, Angela wasn't hurt by this – or even deterred. She just laughed. "Oh, Gill, I should've known… It's fine."

Luke suddenly appeared through a gap in the people dancing. He spotted Gill and waved to him through his sporadic jumping and arm flailing with Selena. "Hey, Gill! Buddy! Like the music?!"

"NO!" Gill stomped his foot. "Make it end!"

"What? Turn it up?" Luke asked, cupping a hand to his ear. He gave him a thumbs up. "Knew I could count on you, man! TURN IT UP! Gill's got the floor!"

"No I do _not!_"

His refusal fell on deaf ears. Everyone cheered for him and those closest to Gill – Chase and Julius – congratulated him on 'not being such a stooge after all.'

Gill's face fell as people patted his back and smiled at him. He blushed when he caught Angela staring.

She smiled. "See? It's not so bad… Everyone's happy."

"Happy!" Gill scoffed and looked away. "Um… right. But I will not have any of these shenanigans again!"

Angela laughed. "Of course you won't…"

Year: 20  
Season: Winter  
Day: 28  
Time: 4:03 p.m.  
Notes: I feel like I can't see straight. I'm constantly paranoid. Father tells me I'm worrying too much, but can't he see I need to prove myself the superior? I am the future mayor of this town! Luke must respect my authority! HE HAS TO. So help me, if he ruins New Years Eve, I'm going to kill him… My God, I think I'm losing it. Oh, but I'll get him this time… This time… Hahaha…

Year: 19  
Season: Springter  
Day: 28  
Time: To PARTY  
Notes: This'll be so EXTREME!

"Have you seen Gill?" Angela asked.

Mayor Hamilton shook his head. "Sorry, Angela. You know, I haven't seen him since before the festival started. It's really unlike him… Hm. I hope everything's alright…"

"I'm sure it is," Angela put on a brave face. She waved. "Thanks anyway, sir! See you at midnight!"

"Of course – see you at midnight! And Happy New Year!" Hamilton waved back and skipped back to see how much that red afro at Shelly's booth cost – or maybe if she had some other, less eccentric hair pieces for sale.

Angela tapped her chin and furrowed her brows. "Now where could he be…?"

Just before midnight, the villagers gathered underneath the clock tower. Couples and friends and family members huddled close in the winter chill, eyes on the large black hands inching closer to twelve. There was laughter and mugs of hot chocolate and new accessories to be seen. Contests had been held, and prizes had been won. Everyone reminisced the year and awaited the new one on tip toes.

On the outskirts of town in the darkness of the plaza, rows and rows of fireworks were lined up facing the ocean cliffs. Pointed ones, fat ones, large ones, green ones. Every sort of rocket was connected to the other by a large main line, but each had an individual fuse that was scheduled to be burned in order to have an enjoyable, evenly spaced show.

In the shadows of the rows crept another. This one wore a fiery bandana and carried a matchbox.

But another shadow was waiting for him. Standing up and ignoring the stiffness in his legs, Gill steadily walked up behind him.

Luke heard his footsteps and jumped, whirling around in surprise. "Whoa! Man, you scared me! Whatcha doing out here?"

"What am I doing?" Gill asked, a mad glint in his eyes. "Waiting! It appears your plans are flawed! I knew you would come out here! But did you ever think who has to set the fireworks off? Yes, sir, that's _my_ job! And you walked right into it. I am determined that this festival will go on without incident! Now hand over that box of matches before I _cut you_."

Luke frowned, looking like a kicked puppy. He looked down at the matches in his hand. "But… but this was the last one…"

"The last prank? Well, too bad! I caught you this time!" Gill laughed with triumph. He held out his hand to accept the matches.

Gill could see Luke's breath on the air when he sighed. Defeated, he put the box in Gill's hand. But his fingerless glove didn't immediately move. Luke gave him a smirk, and his eyes lit up mischievously. "Right. You do it."

He was taken aback by this. Gill looked down at the box of matches and then back up at Luke. "…What?"

Luke shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. He looked up at the starry sky with nostalgia in his amber eyes. "Think about it, man. This is the end. We're done being kids now. Wow. This year was…" he shook his head.

Gill was debating if this was some sort of trick. _Could Luke really be serious, or was he the greatest actor ever?_ Gill wanted to place his bet on the first – Luke was simply naïve and stupid. He grinned. "Ha! You're so naïve to believe your childhood is the end of all things. Look at you! Making a fool of yourself all year long."

Luke didn't argue. "That may be so… But you know, I think it's really better if you do it. You've got more on your plate than I do. Lots of responsibilities as a mayor and all."

_Why was Luke still talking as if I was some sort of pyromaniac?_ There was no way in hell Gill was going to set the fireworks off in any other way than the correct one. He clenched the box in his hand and closed his eyes in frustration. "I don't know what you're going on about."

"Think about it – this is our last chance to do whatever we want. To really live for the moment. Someday, we're going to be someone's husband or someone's dad. Some owner of some business or some company. This. Right now. Here where we stand at the end of this year is the end of freedom. We've got the whole rest of our lives to be that responsible adult. Aren't you going to miss that kid you left behind at all?"

Gill actually started to forget this was all coming from Luke. His grip on the match box lessened.

Luke smiled. "That's why I've been doing whatever I want this year. Because this is my last as who I am. Like everyone's always saying – 'you've got to grow up some time, Luke!' I like to think I can put it off, but… It'll hit me someday."

He was chewing the inside of his lip and watching the row of fireworks. By his calculations, it was getting close to midnight. Gill squeezed the matches.

"But not this day…" Luke walked over to him and put a firm hand on his shoulder. "So what do you say? Set fire to our childhood! Go out with a bang. Let's do this!"

Gill thought about the person he was always striving to be. That person was most assuredly an adult. Where had the child in him gone? How long had it been since he killed it? But with the crazy carpenter and a few dozen fireworks before him, that little boy didn't seem so far lost as he thought he was…

In the background, he could hear the villagers' voices echoing up the hill. Counting the seconds. "…Twelve! …Eleven! …Ten! …Nine!"

Luke grinned when Gill shook his head and sighed. "Honestly…" he struck the match. "I don't know how you talked me into this, Luke…" he held it to the fuse. "But you tell no one."

And that was all he could say as the thick rope ignited. Sparks started to fly down the line as each rocket sizzled. Thick clouds of black smoke started to erupt from the ruckus.

Luke cupped his hands to his mouth and screamed in excitement: "WOOOO!"

Gill rolled his eyes.

"…Three! …Two! …ONE!"

A great explosion rocked the Celesta Church Plaza. The ground shook as every firework took off and blasted in the air. A rainbow of colors exploded and rained down over Harmonica Town in a blinding display. Everyone laughed and cheered. No one had time to be confused as to why there was only one boom. That boom was the most enchanting, epic, amazing enigma they had ever seen. The sky didn't dim for twenty minutes.

On the cobblestones before the church, the two young men coughed and pulled themselves up. Each was covered head to toe with soot and bore bruises and scratches from the jolt of the shockwave after the initial take off.

Luke coughed black smoke and pushed his bandana out of his eyes. His white teeth smiled wide at Gill who was sitting up on the pavement next to him, rubbing a crick from his back. "Hey! Happy New Year, man!"

Gill could only smile and wish him a happy new year as well.

* * *

Also, I'm well aware that the Summer Festival isn't a romantic event, but… eh. I think it should be.

Thanks for reading! :D


End file.
